Documents

Heat Related Closing Procedures

Illinois State Board of Education Policy:

The health and safety of children are of paramount importance to local school superintendents. Section 18-12, the School Code allows the use of interrupted School Days for "adverse weather conditions." As a reminder, with regard to extreme heat, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) allows for four options:

Amend the public school calendar to start school at a later date

Dismiss after 5-clock hours of instruction

Instructional time is maximized

Advance notice will be provided to allow parents to arrange for childcare

School day does not have to be made up

Utilize an Emergency Day (no school for the entire district)

Advance notice will be provided

School day must be made up

Utilize an Interrupted Day (school may be dismissed after a minimum of one clock hour of instruction)

Advance notice may be given to allow parents to arrange for childcare

Criteria for Early Dismissal

If the heat index (combination of heat + humidity) is 97 degrees or above
Please refer to chart from the Child Care Weather Watch (Iowa Department of Public Health)

Communication of Early Dismissal

Parents, students, and staff will be notified no later than 11:00 a.m. in the event an early dismissal is necessary due to the heat index. Notification will be made via SchoolMessenger (includes a phone call and follow-up email) and District Facebook and website pages. If the decision to dismiss early is made in advance of anticipated extreme heat, the local media will be contacted and flyers from each campus may also be disseminated.

District Action Plan:

The weather forecast will be reviewed using multiple sources on both a daily and weekly basis. Sources will include NOAA and Weather Underground. The Student Services Department will confer with the Superintendent or designee to determine an appropriate plan of action.

The goal is to plan as far in advance as possible.

If heat index outside is forecast to be over 97 degrees outside, the District will call for an early dismissal after 5 clock-hours of instruction. Decisions to utilize an Interrupted Day will be made by the Superintendent or designee.

If the forecast was not fore a heat index of 97 degrees or above, but it is very warm in the morning, a reading of the temperature and humidity will be taken by 8:30 a.m. in three classrooms, one on each of the first three floors of Central. If the calculation at that time is a heat index of 90 degrees or above, the Principal or designee will notify the Superintendent or designee. The Superintendent or designee will make arrangements to contact both the Unit 4 Transportation DEpartment and MTD to determine the possibility of an early dismissal to be called that same day.

Dismissal Schedule:

The district will dismiss the following campus after five hours of instruction:

Central Start 8:05 Dismiss 1:05 p.m.

Kids Plus:

After- school services will be offered at each campus

Staff Members:

In the event school is dismissed early, staff members are expected to work a full contractual day, but are encouraged to locate a cool place within the building to work.

Maintenance Plans for Central:

Air exchange units will be left on overnight when the temperature is over 90 degrees during the day.
Custodians will leave the second floor windows open during the evening on days the temperature exceeds 80 degrees.
One custodian will come in early to open windows on days the temperature outside is 90 degrees or above.
Additional fans have been purchased and are available for principals in buildings that need additional air movement.

Building Plans:

Keep shades closed on the side of the building receiving the most sunlight.
Keep overhead lights to a minimum in possible.
Turn off any electronic equipment that is not in use.
Rooms that have window air conditioning units can be kept on overnight on the low setting.
Campuses that remain in session will not have outdoor recess if the heat index is 97 degrees or above.
Students will be allowed to bring water bottles to remain properly hydrated throughout the day.